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3000 oil sump pans

Healey Nut

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So Im in the process of engine building . I selected my oil pan and proceeded to beat the living bejesus out of the usual dents etc .
After reshaping the pan the spot welds for the divider baffle and the small U shaped piece behind the baffle were broken . Removing the baffle makes reshaping the pan way easier .
Anyways I do intend to refit the baffle as I get what thats for but does anyone know why and what that small inverted U shaped piece is between the baffle and the back wall of the sump that goes up to the shallow collection area ?
The reshaped pan is now sitting on my bench supported on wood blocks full of old waste oil to check for leaks . 2hrs in were all good .
 
Is it to trap sludge?
I dont see how that would work as its open on two opposite sides . My thought is at one time they used to slip a small magnet under it to catch metal material ?
Just a theory .
 
This isn't relative to the conversation; peripheral at best. But what the heck. I recently swapped out my BN7's sump for one of the Moss finned aluminum sumps. The big surprise to me was how heavy the aluminum pan was, likely to prevent its fracture on speed bumps, etc. We installed it as a club tech session project, and I was glad we had more than one pair of hands to install it on the engine. I didn't add the Moss sump because there was something wrong with the original--it does have a brazed spot near the plug--but a fellow Healey club member offered it to me at very nice price, and I'm forever "upgrading" my car. Since I filled the new sump from gallon oil containers, I won't know that sump's capacity until I change oil. Unless someone out there knows.
 
Hi All,

I also asked the same question back in the early 1970s after pealing back the bottom of my pan when trying to straddle what turned out to be a raised manhole cover and not a deep hole in the highway. The answer I got then from the welder was that the engine had been used on a number of British cars and it was there to support an oil pickup. He also indicated that the baffle was in a different place for the other engine and this knowledge led me to believe he knew what he was talking about. I have no idea how true that is and just dismissed further interest after reinstalling the pan.

Ray(64BJ8P1)
 
Well my overnight test of the sump filled with waste oil worked , shes leak free . So Im going to put the baffle back in and forget the little U piece . Dont think the concourse guys will ever know :encouragement:.
Then its retest sandblast prime n fit .
 
I'm sorry, I don't buy that support for oil pickup thing.

I've seen most of the original C series applications from 2.6- 2.9, eg Austin /Wolseley/ Morris and haven't seen any sign of an oil pickup support at this location.

The oil pump changed from a four bolt to a three bolt fixing early in production (2.6) but didn't change the pickup location AFAIK.

All the original sumps from Austin A90/Wolseley 6/90 (the first C engined cars) to the Healey 3000 were AEC 203.

Then again I have been known to be completely wrong once or twice.

Danny
 
OK, it's settled. Someone at Austin had a really wicked sense of humor and realized that if he spot-welded an apparently useless piece of metal in some engine sumps credulous Americans would be baffled and speculate and argue for days about its significance and importance. Then he went to his favorite pub and had a good laugh with his mates.
 
Whatever it is, the bracket is also present in this NOS A90 oil pan:

A90 Oil Pan.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.
 
Hi Danny,

With your broad exposure to the many multi-marque that use the engine, have you any idea of or actual knowledge as to what this part was installed for? Since I never needed it, I really accepted the explanation given me without a need to question and, I must admit, only have a passing interest now.

All the best,
Ray(64BJ8P1)
 
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Regards magnets: I stick a rare earth magnet (calgary and Ottawa both have Lee Valley Tool stores, and they have a plethora (for us ordinary folks: a pithpot full)) of various sized rare earth magnets) on to the drain plug as well as the bottom of the oil filter. Doug
 
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